A timeline of HBO’s messy "torture porn" show, involving The Weeknd, Sam Levinson and Rolling Stone

Forget about "The Last of Us" and "Yellowstone" — the latest drama you should be watching is a three-person play, starring R&B superstar The Weeknd, "Euphoria" creator Sam Levinson and Rolling Stone. Here's a timeline of what went down when on "The Idol" set, from Seimetz's departure and Levinson's arrival, to the show's chaotic production and HBO's defense: June 2021: "The Idol" went into development after being created by Tesfaye, alongside his producing partner Reza Fahim, and Levinson. According to crew members, Seimetz arrived on set seven weeks before the show started filming and was given "half-finished scripts, a first-time showrunner in Epstein, a tight schedule, and near-impossible expectations from HBO." Per sources, Levinson and Seimetz also disagreed on the show's creative direction: "I went into 'The Idol' thinking that this might be an interesting collaboration, but I left it pretty convinced that is not quite collaborative," one source said. In another statement to IndieWire, HBO claimed that "the creators and producers of 'The Idol' have been working hard to create one of HBO's most exciting and provocative original programs."